Weight Loss Desperation!

[HMC190]

I’ve been struggling to lose weight now for over year and feel absolutely at the end of my tether with it!

I’m currently around 19st (my BMI is 38) and it seems that no matter what I try, the scale just isn’t budging. I’ve had a few blood tests and scans done (all normal) and after this my doctor sent me on to a dietician.

Unfortunately I had a bad experience with the team - new dieticians every appointment, conflicting info - and this all came to a head in January, when the latest one ran through everything I would usually eat in a day, admitted she could see I was restricting my calories...but that I still needed to eat less (I was in 1,200 at the time).

My husband and I are desperate to start a family, but I really worry about being this weight and pregnant. I’ve gone along with what the dietician asked of me, eating very ‘clean’, cutting my calories down to around 600 - 800 a day and logging every single piece of food I eat. I’ve also increased my exercise, but still no luck!

I know I’m probably not eating enough now (I definitely feel like I’m starving myself a bit ) but at this stage I’ll do anything to get the scales moving! Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas I could try to finally make some progress?

Thank you all!

Hi there. I am bumping for the evening crew.

In the meantime would you post your daily menu for the diet gurus on here to have a think about?

I’ve been struggling for a while and am starting to see a shift after not just logging my calories, but tracking sugar in my diet, OP. And stopping drinking! I hadn’t realised quite how much I had in my diet. I use the Nutracheck app now - losing about 1lb a week on 1200. I think if you drop drastically to 800 or so it doesn’t help long term.

I've just read Why We Eat (Too Much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson. Lots of interesting science in there. Today was my first day trying to reset my weight set-point, which is supposedly the weight my body thinks it should be so works towards that. Apparently constant dieting can push this point up and your body tries to stick to that weight by reducing metabolism or raising it or making you more or less energetic. I'm not really doing the book justice, there's so much science in it!

First today today, I'm feeling optimistic. No dieting or fasting which is the main thing!

I’ve been trying to lose weight for 11 years. I did fast 800 for 3 weeks and lost a stone (in about 25 days). It gave me the push I needed and I’ve taken a lot longer to lose about a further 2.5 stone. Half a stone to go. I don’t beat myself up-shit day at work, wine by 5pm..... but not the 3 bags of crisps i may have had.....,,

@FlibbertyGiblets

Hi there. I am bumping for the evening crew.

In the meantime would you post your daily menu for the diet gurus on here to have a think about?

A standard sort of day for me would be:

Breakfast: 50g Greek yoghurt with 100g fruit (usually pears or apples) and a tiny amount of porridge (10-12g)

Lunch: Something like a chilli or curry (made from scratch as one of the many dieticians warned me away from pre-made sauces!) Today was chilli - 100g chopped tomatoes, 50g chickpeas or beans etc, 50g bell pepper, spices and cauliflower rice (around 100g)

Afternoon snack is normally 2-3 ryvitas and a cup of tea with 100ml milk in

Dinner: Today was 200g roast potatoes, 50g quorn chicken and 100g carrots. I usually do something similar every night: carbs, a form of protein/ meat and veggies.

If I fancy something sweet after dinner I’d have another 100g or so of fruit.

I don’t use any oil or butter in cooking, don’t add salt to anything and aside from the milk in my afternoon tea, everything else I drink is either water or herbal tea.

That does sound really interesting- I love a book on nutrition etc! I did wonder if my metabolism was anything to do with it - I was able to lose weight for my wedding (years ago) without too much trouble. I really didn’t think I could have slowed it down to this point though?!

I would love to stop feeling like I’m dieting or counting calories all the time - 800max doesn’t make for a very happy day!

I would try to cut out the fruit and any carbs like the ryvita and potatoes, maybe try a low fat high carb (BIWI's boot camps on here are great for support too!)

How many calories is that day of food?

You need to start eating more.

Don't listen to people telling you to cut this food group or go on some stupid diet, you need to just eat a decent amount of healthy food so you don't feel like you're missing out. It needs to be a lifestyle choice which you will have to stick to forever. There can be treats but they have to be sensible and controlled.

3 meals a day with healthy snacks and move, move lots.

I train people (some larger people) and it won't be a short term thing, the quicker it comes off the quicker it goes back on. Aim for a couple of pounds a week. Something like mindful chef is good because it teaches you about portion control which is one of the biggest issues with those who are overweight.

You have a BMR which is what your body needs to just function, without any movement through the day, if you keep restricting calories to a stupidly low number your BMR reduces and then you have to cut and cut again so if you put weight on when you stop restricting next time you have to cut even further.

There are plenty of calculators which help you work out your BMR on line then add your TDEE which depends on how much you move (most people v little) then that'll give you how much your body needs on an average day. You can then workout how many calories less you need to eat to lose weight sensibly and sustainably and to take it a step further work out how much carbs (because our bodies NEED carbs) protein and fats you should eat and stick to that. You'll be able to eat a healthy balanced diet which will be easy to follow and you won't feel hungry.

How are you roasting your potatoes with no oil or butter?

Agree with PP to ignore advice of cutting out any groups. The food you're eating and the quantities is certainly a deficiency in calories so I would recommend you up it a bit. Maybe an extra 100-200 calories. Do this for 1-2 weeks and then see if you've lost any weight.

Have you heard of the Fast800 diet?

It's changed my life and really is a great way of eating to lose weight. X

I would love to stop feeling like I’m dieting or counting calories all the time - 800max doesn’t make for a very happy day!

This is probably part of the problem - your body won’t react well to 800 calorie restrictions (as detailed by other posters), it’s not a long term solution and it makes you miserable!

I hate to promote faddy diets but a family member is losing weight on herbalife, a lot of it to begin with is losing water but the weight is now coming off, its got some good recipes too, some of which I have pinched.
It's really spurring her on, she's starting to look different.
Shes always struggled to stick to a diet but with this one she's not hungry and getting loads of support from others that are doing it online.
I promise I'm not a herbalife rep 😉
I lost a lot of weight joining slimming World, consistently lost at least 2lb a week, sometimes as much as 5lb.
Also, try to get moving, start with walking, good luck, it's not easy but you can do it

@IWantChocolates

I've just read Why We Eat (Too Much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson. Lots of interesting science in there. Today was my first day trying to reset my weight set-point, which is supposedly the weight my body thinks it should be so works towards that. Apparently constant dieting can push this point up and your body tries to stick to that weight by reducing metabolism or raising it or making you more or less energetic. I'm not really doing the book justice, there's so much science in it!

First today today, I'm feeling optimistic. No dieting or fasting which is the main thing!

I second this recommendation - it's a book that helps you stop feeling guilty about weight gain and motivates you to eat the right kinds of food.

Are you eating enough.
My starting weight was a similar weight to yours and I've lost 19.6 lbs in 6 weeks. I'm eating 2000 calories a day.

@HMC190

That does sound really interesting- I love a book on nutrition etc! I did wonder if my metabolism was anything to do with it - I was able to lose weight for my wedding (years ago) without too much trouble. I really didn’t think I could have slowed it down to this point though?!

I would love to stop feeling like I’m dieting or counting calories all the time - 800max doesn’t make for a very happy day!

I highly recommend the book, even just for an interesting read on food and what/why we eat it. Second day in, I haven't snacked at all yet have eaten well (but healthily). It can't hurt anyway, and I've tried loads of different diets in the past!

Thank you so much everyone for the advice, I really appreciate your suggestions

Since I’ve been doing low cal for so long I’m definitely going to go with the majority and try increasing my calories first. Two days since I made this post and the scale still hasn’t shifted a bit, so my resolution to restrict this low is definitely waining!

I’ve ordered myself a copy of Why We Eat (Too Much) since it sounded so interesting, can’t wait for it to arrive!

Look up team RH on Facebook. They will explain what calories you should be on and help you get the weight off. I lost 30 lb last year on 2300 calories and ate chocolate every day. There's no shakes or anything but you do have to weigh your food and be absolutely 100% honest with yourself and them about every last gram!

@Hollywhiskey

Look up team RH on Facebook. They will explain what calories you should be on and help you get the weight off. I lost 30 lb last year on 2300 calories and ate chocolate every day. There's no shakes or anything but you do have to weigh your food and be absolutely 100% honest with yourself and them about every last gram!

Thank you - never heard of them before, I’ll have a look!

It's really not ok to eat 800 calories a day but I equally don't understand how you can not be losing weight on that. Are you being 'good' all week then having a 'treat' day where you eat loads? It makes no sense

That’s the part that’s got me so desperate- I’m being ‘good’ constantly! If I was having a huge, go-mad cheat day once a week or so where I ate loads then I could understand the scales refusing to budge, but I’m sticking to very low calories and logging every gram. Made not an ounce of difference haha

A few family members have suggested it’s a problem with my metabolism and to eat more, but I didn’t think it would cause this much of a issue. Plus the dietician was so adamant that I needed to eat less I thought it best to try her way to start with!

How long have you been eating like this for?

@HMC190

That’s the part that’s got me so desperate- I’m being ‘good’ constantly! If I was having a huge, go-mad cheat day once a week or so where I ate loads then I could understand the scales refusing to budge, but I’m sticking to very low calories and logging every gram. Made not an ounce of difference haha

A few family members have suggested it’s a problem with my metabolism and to eat more, but I didn’t think it would cause this much of a issue. Plus the dietician was so adamant that I needed to eat less I thought it best to try her way to start with!

Yes to your family!! This is what the book in part explains - years of dieting affects your weight set-point and that affects your metabolism. If your body thinks there'll be another famine (diet) soon or if you're going through one it'll slow metabolism.

I have been yo-yo dieting for decades (over 3).

I have done loads of diets (lighter life, SW, WW, HFLC, 5:2, 16:8, FAST800, Cambridge) - I have lost 3st at least twice, 2 stone maybe 4 times, and a stone multiple times ..... I have never maintained any loss for more more than 6 months ...... always regained and over the decades my has weight has just got higher......all time personal best in Jan of 13st 7lb and I am only 5ft 3inches.

I haven’t heard of that book (I have read millions of diet books over the years) but I must be the cliche....anyone who has read it can you let me know if I am now just fucked metabolically?

We lose significant muscle mass each decade naturally through ageing and then rapidly hormonally through peri meno - less muscle means lower BMR - so if you eat and move the same you (even healthy foods) you gain weight - middle age spread.

So that’s going on whether you are already overweight or not.

Of course you can intercept this natural process by eating less, exercising more and specifically actively building more muscle so that BMR is increased.

But if you have done all the rapid weight loss programmes like I have - when you loss your “weight” if it is more than 2lb a week - then you are actually losing muscle ...... which of course is counterproductive .... less muscle means a lower BMR .... so we need even less calories.....

We need our bodies metabolism to be like a large engine performance car so that the same amount of calories are gobbled up in seconds rather than a 50cc engine which is overloaded and can’t burn them quickly enough.

So to increase BMR - I am looking to replace the muscle and metabolism lost to decades of silly diets and to age and menopause in general.

This is going to be my priority - so doing a whole body functional resistance / weights programme - which can shift metabolism in a few weeks.

I will also manage my eating as well - I have cut alcohol as this led to snacking and will keep 16:8 as this helps me as well.

I have joined SW (again) just for the weekly weigh in but I will not be looking for a round of a applause for loosing 3,4,5 lb in a week which I can easily do - I will be cross with myself if this happens again.

Also eating and digesting food is responsible for 10% of our BMR - so why would you cut this out. We need to eat a wide range and large volume of fruits and veg to give our gut a work out and burn off fat.

So OP - sorry that you are where you are - you are obviously much younger than me - would suggest that you work on raising your BMR by building muscle and eating more.